Surfer Becca Speak’s Journey to Recovery After Sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury
At the age of 23, Becca Speak’s professional surfing career was flourishing. Sponsored by brands like Billabong, she was competing at the highest level and enjoying every moment of it. However, her life took an unexpected turn when she sustained a severe head injury during a surf competition.
The Instant Life-Changer: Speak recounts the moment her passion for surfing turned into her greatest challenge, “As soon as I hit my head, I went paralyzed for a moment. I didn’t really know what was happening. I just knew I couldn’t move my body. I remember being under the water, crying and feeling terrified.”
Speak was dragged from the water by friends and taken to the hospital due to bleeding. During her journey to the medical facility, she started experiencing speech delays. At the hospital, scans revealed no structural damage but left Speak feeling uneasy as she continued to deteriorate.
Descending into a Vegetative State: “I felt like I was falling into a vegetative state, almost. I could barely put a couple words together,” Speak shared. Over the following days, she became increasingly overstimulated by even the slightest sounds or lights.
Unraveling the Mystery: After a second hospital visit, doctors confirmed Speak had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), her sixth from a lifetime of participating in sports. The recovery process involved physical and cognitive therapy, which took three months to restore normal speech patterns and much longer for Speak to regain her overall health.
New Technologies and the Road to Recovery: Director Jordyn Romero, who also experienced a TBI from snowboarding, saw Speak’s story as an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of brain injuries. The film “Beyond Normal” chronicles Speak’s journey and showcases the evolving technologies used in her treatment, including neurological treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and physical rehabilitation.
The Invisible Wound: Speak explains that despite appearing fine from the outside, brain injuries can be challenging to comprehend due to their intangibility. She says, “People tell you to ‘shake it off,’ because brain injuries aren’t visible injuries, and they can’t see what’s happening on the inside.”
Understanding Concussions: According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a concussion occurs when the brain experiences a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly. Concussions can cause short-term symptoms like dizziness or disorientation, as well as long-term issues with sleep, memory, learning, and even personality changes.
The Impact of Subconcussive Head Impacts: Research reveals that subconcussive head impacts – repetitive hits to the head and body without causing symptoms – can still result in long-term neurological disease.
A New Normal: Speak shares that throughout her healing journey, she came to accept that recovery would be a lifelong process. She realized the importance of pushing herself but also taking time to rest and recover. Speak now surfs daily with a foam helmet, embracing her passion once more while continuing to strive for new goals.
The Power of Community and Support: Speak’s close relationship with the filmmakers allowed them to create an intimate and vulnerable documentary about her recovery process, which took over two years to complete. Through the ups and downs of her treatment, Speak discovered that understanding and acceptance were essential components of her journey beyond normal.
